As is known, various types of door props, door stops or door wedges have been developed to prevent a door from being opened or to maintain an open door at a user desired location. By way of example, Hoffman, U.S. Pat. No. 171,807 discloses a door-check for holding a door ajar. The door-check is formed from a rubber wedge having an upper, inclined surface. The inclined surface has a plurality of transverse ridges or waves formed therein. The base of the door-check is roughened or toothed. In operation, the lower surface of the door is pivoted over the inclined surface of the door-check and pressed over the crest or ridges of the waves in the inclined surface until such point as the bottom surface of the door engages a crest of sufficient height to arrest it. The roughened base of the door check prevents any tendency of the door-check to slip over a carpet.
While the door-check disclosed in the Hoffman '807 is functional for its intended purpose, the inclined surface of the door check disclosed therein has insufficient resiliency to catch and hold the door in the user desired location. Consequently, the door, intended to be held in the user desired position, may inadvertently become disengaged from the door-check, thereby freeing the door to once again pivot above the supporting surface.
Further, it has been found that these prior door stops and wedges have a tendency to become lost when being stored or transported. For example, cleaning crews utilize door wedges throughout a building during cleanup. Consequently, these door wedges must be transported by the cleaning crew to doors in different parts of the building or to different job sites during performance of their tasks. Inevitably, a number of the door wedges used by the cleaning crew can become misplaced. As a result, these door wedges must be replaced, thereby increasing the overall costs associated with cleaning the buildings.
In order to overcome the limitations disclosed in the Hoffman '807 patent, various means for anchoring a door in a set position have been considered. By way of example, Raber, U.S. Pat. No. 2,703,728 discloses a device expressly specifically for retaining a horizontal swingable door in a set position by anchoring the lower edge portion of a door to a conventional horizontal floor surface. The device includes a plate designed to underlie the lower surface of a conventional door. The plate includes shoulders that form blocks on opposite ends thereof and a leaf spring situated between the blocks. By exerting pressure on the leaf spring, the plate is urged into engagement with the bottom surface of the door so as to effectively fasten the device to the door and anchor the door to the supporting surface. Once again, while the Raber '728 patent is functional for its intended purpose, the device is somewhat complicated due to the numerous component parts. Further, due to the number of parts provided, the cost of the anchoring device disclosed in the Raber '728 patent is prohibitive.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a door wedge for retaining a door at a user desired selected location that is simple to utilize and inexpensive to manufacture.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a door wedge for retaining a door at a user selected location that may be utilized without damaging the door or the supporting surface above which the door pivots.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a door wedge for retaining a door in a user selected position that accommodates variances in the spacing between the bottom of the door and the supporting surface above which the door pivots.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a door wedge for retaining a door in a user selected position that incorporates a hook for supporting the door wedge during storage and transport.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a door wedge for retaining a door in a user selected position that incorporates a stop limiting movement of the door onto the door wedge.
In accordance with the present invention, a door wedge is provided for maintaining a door at a user desired position. The door is pivotable over a supporting surface between an open position and a closed position. The door wedge includes a body extending along a longitudinal axis and having a resilient inclined surface for engaging a bottom surface of the door and a lower surface at an acute angle to the inclined surface. A hook projects from the body and a pad is affixed to the lower surface of the body for discouraging movement of the body over the supporting surface.
The hook extends from the inclined surface and the body is fabricated from a vinyl material. The body includes an inclined plate having a lower surface and an upper surface defining the inclined surface of the body. The body also includes a base having an upper surface and a lower surface defining the lower surface of the body. A plurality of generally arcuate ribs have upper ends in engagement with the lower surface of the inclined plate and lower ends in engagement with the upper surface of the base. The arcuate ribs are generally C-shaped.
The inclined plate has first and second ends, and the base has first and second ends. The first end of the base intersects the first end of the inclined plate. An end wall has a first end interconnected to the second end of inclined plate and a second end operatively connected to the upper surface of the base. The hook is positioned between the first and second ends of the inclined plate and includes a terminal end vertically spaced from the upper surface of the inclined plate. The lower surface of the body includes first and second spaces slots transverse to the longitudinal axis. The pad includes a first end received in the first slot in the lower surface of the body and a second end received in the second slot in the lower surface of the body.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a door wedge is provided for maintaining a door at a user desired position. The door is pivotable over a supporting surface between an open position and a closed position. The door wedge includes a base extending along a first axis and has upper and lower surfaces and first and second ends. An inclined plate extends along a second axis at a predetermined angle to the first axis and has upper and lower surfaces and first and second ends. The first end of the inclined plate intersects the first end of the base. A hook projects from the inclined plate. The hook has a terminal end vertically spaced from the upper surface of the inclined plate. A pad is affixed to the lower surface of the base.
A plurality of generally arcuate ribs has upper ends in engagement with the lower surface of the inclined plate and lower ends in engagement with the upper surface of the base. The arcuate ribs are generally C-shaped. An end wall has a first end interconnected to the second end of inclined plate and a second end operatively connected to the upper surface of the base. The hook includes an central portion overlapping the upper surface of the inclined plate. The lower surface of the base includes first and second spaces slots transverse to the longitudinal axis. The pad includes a first end received in the first slot in the lower surface of the base and a second end received in the second slot in the lower surface of the base.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a door wedge is provided for maintaining a door at a user desired position. The door is pivotable over a supporting surface between an open position and a closed position. The door wedge includes a base extending along a first axis and having first and second ends. An inclined plate extends along a second axis at a predetermined angle to the first axis and has first and second ends. The first end of the inclined plate intersects the first end of the base. A hook projects from the inclined plate. The hook has a terminal end vertically spaced from the inclined plate.
The inclined plate has a lower surface and an upper surface engageable with a bottom surface of the door. The base has an upper surface and a lower surface. A plurality of generally arcuate ribs have upper ends in engagement with the lower surface of the inclined plate and lower ends in engagement with the upper surface of the base. The arcuate ribs are generally C-shaped. An end wall has a first end interconnected to the second end of inclined plate and a second end operatively connected to the upper surface of the base. The lower surface of the base includes first and second spaces slots transverse to the longitudinal axis. The pad includes a first end received in the first slot in the lower surface of the base and a second end received in the second slot in the lower surface of the base.